Pushed Too Far!
by get-it-on65
Summary: Story about Eric and Red and what happens when Eric stands up to him...Also I've just put chapter 16 up! Pls Read and if you can review! Thanx
1. Dumb Ass!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or show 'That 70's Show' blah, blah, blah...  
Chapter 1: Dumb Ass  
  
A fifteen-year-old Eric ran down the stairs into the basement. He sighed as he sunk into the couch after throwing his bag to the floor.  
  
"Just another three years of school left" he thought to himself.  
  
He lay back further into the couch and closed his eyes; he just wanted to sit in silence for a moment. It was doubtful he'd get that any time soon as he heard his fathers voice boom from upstairs.  
  
"Eric, get your butt up here!"  
  
Eric sighed once again and slowly rose from his place in the couch, he yawned slightly and turned towards the stairs. He felt like his father was always picking on him, he never even raised his voice to Laurie, his older sister, and she was the sibling who was always getting into trouble. It seemed there was nothing Eric could do to change his fathers mind about him being a so called 'Dumb-Ass'. It didn't bother him that much when his father called him that because Red called almost every guy he met a 'Dumb- Ass'.  
  
A moment later he was upstairs, his father, although not much taller than him seemed to loom over him, as he began his speech.  
  
"Do you remember what I asked you to do this morning?" he paused for a just split second, then started again, not giving Eric anytime to actually answer him.  
  
"I didn't think you would. I ask you to do one thing just one simple thing, when I was your age..."  
  
"Not with the, 'When I was your age' again" Eric thought to himself.  
  
About ten minutes later his father had finally finished.  
  
".....NOW GET OUT THERE AND CLEAN THE GUTTER!"  
  
Eric nodded timidly, like he had been for the last ten minutes, after realising his fathers speech was finally over he spoke up.  
  
"Can I go get changed first, I don't wanna get my....."  
  
"NO, GO DO IT NOW! IF IT'S NOT DONE BY THE TIME I GET OUT OF THE BATH, THERE'S GONNA BE TROUBLE!"  
  
"Dumb Ass" Red muttered as he exited the room.  
  
"I hate you" Eric mumbled under his breath as he headed for the garden to clean out the gutters.  
  
Pulling on some gloves and sliding a ladder up against the wall he began to climb up. He was almost near the top when he heard a voice echoing from below him.  
  
"Hey Eric", he looked down.  
  
"Oh, hey Donna".  
  
The red haired girl stared up at him, "Doing some more chores?"  
  
"What do you think?" Eric replied, raising his eyebrows slightly.  
  
"So do you volunteer or....." before she could finish Eric interrupted.  
  
"Pff...I wish!"  
  
"Ok, so do you wanna go to the pictures later or what, I hear that the Godfather, part two is out now!"  
  
"Cool...but I can't Red was angry that I didn't clean the gutters this morning, I'll probably be doing chores until bedtime".  
  
Donna could see Eric looked pretty down about it and so decided to stay with him for a while.  
  
"I thought you were just exaggerating when you dais you'd be doing chores until bedtime!" stated Donna, who had stood by talking and watching Eric do all the little jobs his father had set him up to do for the last four hours!  
  
"This is the last thing left to do, I swear! But you can go if you want, I mean you must want to eat something. Once I've finished this last chore then maybe we might have time to go to the cinema!" Eric said in a serious voice.  
  
"No, no I'll stay, I'm not that hungry anyway, and yer maybe we will, I mean maybe there's an eight-thirty showing of the film."  
  
"Yer, maybe..." he trailed off. He started for the kitchen to finish the dishes, even though he hadn't even eaten from any of them.  
  
It was about ten past eight and Eric had just finished all his chores, him and Donna headed for his room. After being in the bathroom for ten minutes, Eric came out looking his best. They were at the door and just about to leave when Eric felt a hand grip his shoulder.  
  
"And...where do you think you're going?" It was Red again.  
  
"Me and Donna are going to the cinema, sir, I've finished all my..." he was cut off once again.  
  
"And what about your dinner?" Red asked frustration beginning to build up inside him!  
  
"We...ell we were just going to get some burgers on the way there" Eric didn't know what he'd said to set Red off but done it. From the look in Red's eyes he knew he wasn't going anywhere tonight.  
  
"Donna can you please go home now, Eric won't be going to the cinema today" he said in a calm but steady voice.  
  
"But...Eric has been doing chores all night, he deserves a break!"  
  
Red began to speak again, getting slightly aggravated "I will decide what Eric deserves and what he doesn't deserve, now can you please go home now".  
  
Donna could see the agitated look in Red's face and finally gave in to his demands. Giving Eric a sympathetic look she said goodbye and began to head towards her house!  
  
"What have I done now?" asked Eric getting impatient.  
  
He had been working all night and he just wanted to relax.  
  
"I'll tell you what you've done you waste of a space little dumb ass, your mother cooks you a very nice dinner and your just going leave it here! Well that won't do, you get your ass in there and eat your damn dinner!"  
  
"I didn't know I had any dinner left, after you made work while everyone ELSE WAS EATING..."  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME", Red screamed at him.  
  
Eric hadn't even realised he had raised his voice, but as soon as he did he regretted it.  
  
"I'm sorry" he tried to explain sheepishly, not daring to look up into his father's eyes.  
  
"YOU BETTER BE! NOW GET IN THERE AND EAT WHAT YOUR MOTHERS MADE YOU".  
  
Eric nodded and made his way from his father through the kitchen to the dining table where a plate of food stood. He sat down and began prodding at the roast dinner that lay before him. It was stone cold, he got up to go and heat it up when he saw Red standing in the doorway.  
  
"What are you doing?" he stated flatly.  
  
"Just heating it up" Eric answered.  
  
"No you're not, you're gonna eat it right now the way it is. It's your fault it's cold"  
  
"Bu...but"  
  
"NO BUT'S!"  
  
Eric could feel anger building up inside of him.  
  
"Fine, I wont have anything to eat" he stated and began to edge past Red.  
  
Putting his arm out to stop him, Red glared at Eric. That was it. He'd had enough.  
  
"Why are you always picking on me, you never ever shout at Laurie and you know she gets into trouble way more than me, why is every thing I do wrong, there's nothing I can do to please you..."  
  
He paused. Giving Red a tired but serious look, anger draining his face. Red looked like he was about to explode with anger but before he could Eric began to rant and rave on at him further.  
  
"...No don't start one of them long speeches where you tell how you were when you were my age, don't shout. I've heard it all before except most of the time you just do it to put me DOWN!"  
  
By the time Eric had finished, he was slightly short of breath. He didn't understand why he hadn't said something like this earlier, the only option Red had was to shout and scream or just ground him. He glad he had finally told Red what he thought of him and the way he treated him.  
  
But after a few moments he soon regretted his actions. Suddenly a blow to the face sent him toppling to the floor. Tears stung his eyes as he clamped them shut. He covered his face with his hand and tried to brush off the pain that etched down the side of his face. After a dozen seconds he looked up at Red. Blood leaked from his nose. The look Red gave him froze him to the spot.  
  
"DON'T EVER, EVER TALK TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN..." pausing he took a few steps towards the door.  
  
He was close to exiting when he turned, stared back at Eric who was still slumped on the floor, and sneered in a sly, quiet tone "...Or else!"  
  
This is my very first fanfiction; please tell me what you think of it! This is only the first chapter, don't worry the next chapter should be on here within the next few days! 


	2. It Was Just One Time!

Chapter 2: It Was Just One Time!  
  
It was half one in the morning and Eric hadn't slept a wink since he had climbed into bed hours before. His face still ached as he tried to make sense of what had happened earlier that night. He never thought of his father as bad, just as a mean and grumpy man, but tonight...tonight changed everything!  
  
He wondered what his face would look like the next day. He knew a bruise had probably started to form down the side of his face by now, but he wasn't going to dare look in the mirror, for fear of facing the reality of what had taken place.  
  
He stared up at the ceiling, willing himself to give into his consciousness, but the face of his father, the coldness in his eyes, haunted his mind and kept him from sleep!  
  
The next day as he slowly got ready for school, Eric wondered what he was going to say to Donna when she asked him about his face.  
  
He was almost ready for school.  
  
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he rushed downstairs, grabbed his bag and ran out the door, just about avoiding his father.  
  
He was just about to knock on Donna's door, when she opened it "Hey Er..." she trailed off.  
  
"Eric what happened to your face?" she asked a concerned look on her face.  
  
After a moment of thinking Eric put on a cheeky grin.  
  
"Well, funny story, I was walking along and a tree just jumped in front of me, they're very clumsy, you know!"  
  
Donna shook her head and laughed, "You, idiot" she stated humorously while giving him a friendly nudge on the shoulder.  
  
Eric had to smile whenever he saw Donna's smile; she was like his lifeline. Whenever he had troubles he relied on Donna to cheer him up.  
  
"So...Red let you out the house yesterday?"  
  
"Err...yer, I just took a little walk, to clear my head...but I guess I just ended up bumping it".  
  
"Yer" Donna smirked.  
  
Fortunately for Eric, Donna hadn't even got the slightest suspicious. Usually he couldn't wait for school to finish but today was different, today he wanted school to last as long as possible, so he didn't have to go home and face his father.  
  
He couldn't believe his father had hit him. He'd had a friend once, whose father had hit him, like Red hit him. But it wasn't just for talking back. He was a rebel, and really he just drove people out of their minds. His father was actually quite a reasonable man, compared with Red. He just got pushed too far.  
  
Was this the same?  
  
Eric didn't know, but he felt that if he just did as he was told, didn't tell anyone and acted as well behaved as he could then he would be all right!  
  
"Eric...hello...earth to Eric..."  
  
"Yes...oh sorry, what's up?"  
  
Eric had been staring off into space all through break time.  
  
"What were you thinking about?" Donna asked curiously.  
  
"Oh nothing...just life!"  
  
"Just life, hah"  
  
She couldn't be bothered to pursue getting Eric to tell her what he was really thinking about. She just changed the subject and carried on talking!  
  
"So, wanna do anything tonight? We could go see that film, hopefully this time we could get out the door before we are stopped!"  
  
"I dunno, I'll erm...check with Red, but ya know, I don't really feel like going out tonight".  
  
He could hardly stay awake. He needed to sleep.  
  
"Ok".  
  
A puzzled look lay on Donna's face.  
  
"Weird" she thought, "Eric never passes a chance to go to the cinema or something like that, Owell, he must just have hit his head quite hard or be tired or something like that!"  
  
Soon school was over and Eric was on his way home. He had been yawning all day and he now had big bags under his eyes from lack of sleep the night before. He dreaded entering his house and seeing his father again. But then he started to tell himself that he was just overreacting, that it was only one time and it wouldn't happen again!  
  
He arrived at his house; he looked up at it for a moment before entering.  
  
"Mum, Dad, I'm home" he stated only slightly raising his voice.  
  
When he got no reply he headed downstairs to the basement.  
  
"They must have gone shopping or something" he thought to himself.  
  
Settling on the couch once more, he expected his parents to arrive home any second, and that his father would be summoning him stairs soon after. But no one came home until some hours later.  
  
Eric was pretty worried by then and had wondered where the hell his parents were. But he had fallen asleep and had at least gotten a couple of hours sleep before he heard the door slam shut upstairs.  
  
He ran upstairs to see why his parents were so late, but it wasn't Kitty and Red who he found, it was just Red, all by himself! He looked kind of wobbly on the knees for a second and then he began straighten up. Eric could smell the distinct aroma of alcohol coming from his father. His eyes looked blood shot.  
  
"Wh...where's mum?" Eric asked concernedly.  
  
"Whe...re?" he mumbled, ".she, she's at the hospital.she had a fall." he trailed off.  
  
"What dad! Oh my god, how, wha...you didn't...you know..." he trailed off as well as he stared worriedly at what seemed to be, his drunken father.  
  
After realising what his son was implying he began to get angrier than ever.  
  
"NO, I WOULD NEVER DO THAT, SHE JUST SLIPPED OVER THERE..." he pointed over by the kitchen worktop. "...I SWEAR...NO...WAIT I DON'T NEED TO JUSTIFY MYSELF TO YOU" and with that he edged closer to his son.  
  
Eric backed away as he saw that look in Red's eyes, the same look he wore the night before, when...when he hit him!  
  
"Dad, I.I'm sorry, I didn't mean to o...ffend you I just thought..." like always Red cut him off.  
  
"You just thought...WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG!" and with that he took a swing at Eric who seemed to be expecting this and ducked.  
  
"You little bastard" he screeched coldly.  
  
Eric dashed for the door. He began to turn knob, when he felt strong blows begin to rain down on him. He suddenly heard haunting screams, and after a few seconds he realised they were his.  
  
He managed to choke out some words "Dad.stop.please, mum wo...uldn't want...this...happening, think...about her"  
  
"Mum my ass, your just a wimp, can't even take it like a man, she's in hospital and you can only think of yourself, typical of you isn't it!"  
  
After a few kicks to his son's stomach he left him in a heap on the floor!  
  
That night Eric dragged himself to the couch and slept there. He couldn't make it upstairs. He was glad the next day was Saturday because then he wouldn't have to get up or try and hide the bruises, but he still had to stay away from Donna and that hurt the most though. He was also very worried about his mother. Was she Ok...How long would she be there?" Eric was terrified by this thought. The longer she was away, the longer he was alone in the house.with Red!  
  
His whole body ached; black and blue bruises now covered almost every section of it. He silently cried himself to sleep that night. He hoped and prayed that this was the last time this would happen but he doubted that, he had made the same prayer last night and it hadn't worked!  
  
Red now lived in his dreams as well, which used to consist of Donna or his other friends.  
  
Twisting and turning in the night. He could see Red's eyes glaring at him and then his fists coming down on him! He squirmed, trying to get away from him, but he couldn't. He tried to run, but he didn't seem to get any further away. Red would come closer and closer towards him, but he couldn't go anywhere and then well.....  
  
Eric awoke with a start, he had only been asleep for three hours and the clock on the living room wall read ten past one. He shivered. His mouth was dry and his throat was sore and hurt like hell, as well as every other part of him. As the memories of his nightmare flooded back into his mind, a tear rolled his cheek.  
  
He pulled his knees up to his chest.  
  
"Please God let it stop here, please..." he whispered to himself, as he laid his head in his arms and cried...  
  
So this is my second chapter, I hope you appreciate it because I stayed up until 2am to finish it! I've also been watching comic relief all night; they raised thirty five million pounds, good on them! Anyway back to my story, I'll say to you 'I'll have the next chapter on here within a few days' but I'll probably get addicted to writing this and have it done for you tomorrow, but just in case 'I'll have it done within the next few day'. Hope you like this story! 


	3. Hang Over!

Chapter 3: Hang Over!  
  
Red slowly opened his eyes; he couldn't remember a thing about what had happened the night before. Pain banged against his skull. He had a huge hang over. He stumbled downstairs to find a beaten and battered Eric crouched by the side of the couch. He was asleep, his head pillowed in his arms. Blood stained the kitchen floor by the door and a trail of it led to the couch where his son still slept.  
  
"Eric...Eric" he whispered softly.  
  
Eric awoke suddenly, jumping in the process. He must have been having another nightmare because he breathed slightly heavy and he had a cold sweat running down the side of his face. He looked up. Dried tears streaked his face. Bruises had formed all over it.  
  
As soon as he saw Red, he began to mumble something that sounded somewhat like "I'm sorry....."  
  
For some reason Red looked confused at this statement.  
  
"Sorry...sorry for what?"  
  
As soon as Eric fully awoke, he could sense a concerned tone of voice coming from his father. But he didn't understand why. His father never spoke to him like he actually cared, well, almost never!  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry for ever being born" he stated, daring to look up at his father.  
  
"Wh...what do you mean?" his father asked confused as much as Eric was.  
  
Eric was completely lost for words. Was it a trick his father was playing on him? To act kind and actually worried about his own son and then when he wasn't expecting it...  
  
He didn't even want to think about it. His looked at him again, the same concerned look etched across his face as he spoke.  
  
"We need to get you to a hospital!"  
  
Again Eric looked up at him confused.  
  
"But sir, they...won't they want to know how this happened?"  
  
"That's what I'd like to know!" and with that he took Eric in his arms and began heading towards the door.  
  
"STOP DAD, don't you remember, you did this, why are you messing with my head like this?"  
  
Red stopped. "What?" he whispered as he lowered Eric to the floor!  
  
"I...I didn't do this Eric, I don't remember doing anything yesterday, I don't even remember yesterday. Bu...but I'm sure I would never, could never do anything like this to you!"  
  
Eric still wasn't sure that what his father was telling him was true, but he figured that if his father were lying to him, he wouldn't have a chance to do anything about it anyway. Then he thought back to last night. His father had been so drunk that he almost collapsed at one point. It was possible for him to have been so drunk he didn't remember a thing about the day before. Then he remembered why his father had been so drunk.  
  
His mother, his mother was in hospital and he didn't even know how well she was. Did Red remember that? Did he remember his own wife being hospital? If Red couldn't remember that then who's to say that his mother just accidentally fell.  
  
"Wh...what about mom, do you remember what happened to her?"  
  
"Oh...yes, your mother, she fell and I took her to hospital and then..." suddenly horrible memories began to flood into Red's head.  
  
"Oh my God, Eric I remember, oh...Eric I'm so sorry...".  
  
For first time in his life Eric saw his father shed tears.  
  
"Da...ad , you're crying...".  
  
"I know son, I feel so bad about what I did to you, if I could take it back, you know I would, I'm sorry, I know I don't say it often, well ever, really but...but I do love you!"  
  
Eric looked up into his father's eyes and for once he didn't see anger or disappointment, he saw care and at last the love he'd been waiting for all his life.  
  
"I lo...ve you too" he stuttered.  
  
He wondered why after all the things his father had done to him, he would be so eager for his father's love. But the warm look his father gave him strangely seemed to make him forget all the horrible times and forgive.  
  
"Right, we really need to get you to hospital!"  
  
Eric had fallen asleep in Red's car and awoke to find he was in a hospital bed. He looked around. His mother lay on a bed to the side of him, her head bandaged. She lay very still, with only the movement of her chest slowly rising up and down as she almost silently breathed.  
  
"Mom...mom"  
  
Eric stared at his mother. He spoke louder.  
  
"Mom!"  
  
He knew it would be cruel to wake her, she was in hospital, she was ill! But he had to know if she was Ok.  
  
"MOM"  
  
Eric was getting scared, he got no reply. He slowly rose from the bed and stumbled over to where Kitty lay. He shook her gently and then slightly harder..... Still there was no reply. She was breathing but she didn't react to anything he did! Eric was now in tears. He was scared. Scared for his mother and scared for himself!  
  
Just then he heard footsteps coming towards his room. They were getting louder and with them came the sound of two men talking. He recognised is father's voice.  
  
"...I'm afraid she may never wake up!" said the other man sympathetically.  
  
Eric tried to hold back tears as the two men entered the room. He managed just too keep quiet, when the other man who must have been the doctor began to change the subject to him. He laid there, his eyes tightly shut.  
  
"...I mean I was worried, he said he'd just gone to shops, so I went looking for him and I just found him like that on the street, he must have got jumped or something, it just breaks my heart to see that somebody has hurt him."  
  
What Red was saying seemed to really get on Eric's nerves, he was so good at lying, the same caring tone used as he lied to the doctor. If he could so easily lie about this what's to stop him lying to him. And his mother, she may never wake up. Red didn't seem to be crying, but Eric had to use all strength not to.  
  
He let out a slight sniffle, which alerted the two men that his was awake.  
  
"Eric, are you alright?"  
  
He opened his eyes and stared up at his father. He turned to the doctor who began to ask what had happened to him. He looked back his father for a second. He was getting another concerned, caring look.  
  
"Did you get jumped or something, Eric?"  
  
For a moment he hesitated, and then answered.  
  
"Ye...yer, I got jumped by a group of guys, I don't really know what happened after that..." he lied.  
  
His father's face was now turned away from him and he and the doctor left the room.  
  
Later that day the doctor returned asking him if he felt like going home with his father now or staying that night. He still felt quite weak and so decided to stay the night. He fell asleep just after nine o'clock, he was still afraid of the nightmares he may have, but he felt so tired and weak. Unfortunately Red came to his dreams that night, bringing with him all the hurtful words and abuse that followed. Like all his nightmares, the one's which Red haunted, he could never get away from the blows, could never get away from Red!  
  
The next morning Red came to the hospital to pick him up. His body didn't hurt that much now, it hurt more inside than it did on the out side. They were on their way back home. Eric was sitting in the front.  
  
"Mom's never gonna wake up, is she?"  
  
Red looked down for a second.  
  
"Eric, we don't know that, she could wake up tomorrow!" "But ..but she could never wake up" Eric sighed.  
  
Every time he thought of his mother he had to shed a few tears. They pulled up into the driveway. Eric got out and walked into the house, he managed to run upstairs, and let himself collapse onto his bed. He lay there for hours just thinking...  
  
Later on, about two o'clock he left his room. His stomach growled and he needed something eat. Looking through the cupboards he found one, which held only booze, this made angry. Booze was the reason his life was almost ruined.  
  
He began collecting it in his arms and running outside, throwing all of it into trash cans. His father must have gone out, because nobody tried to stop him. Eric decided he wasn't going to cry about his father any more, it was over. He still had to concentrate on his mother in a coma! That was the thing that really mattered, that was the thing that really made him cry.  
  
He pictured his mother's face in his head smiling at him. He burst out crying, he wanted his mom back, he wanted her back in the house with him, but somehow he doubted that would ever happen again.  
  
This is the end of chapter 3, chapter four should be up within a few days! Hope you're enjoying my fanfiction! Please give it a review and let me know what you think of it, I'll probably go on to do another five or six chapters, it depends if people like it! So give me reviews, please! 


	4. Liar

Chapter 4: Liar  
  
When Red got home to find that dozens of dollars worth of beer was missing, he wasn't very pleased! He quickly realised Eric had thrown them out; after all he blamed everything on the booze now.  
  
"ERIC, WHAT HAVE DONE WITH ALL THE ALCOHOL! IT COST ME A BOMB!"  
  
Eric lay in bed pretending to be asleep. He heard the door creek open.  
  
"Eric, get up" Red stated in his flat tone.  
  
He decided to obey him and he slowly sat up to face him.  
  
"What the hell did you do with all my beer"  
  
The room was silent and Red was beginning to get frustrated. #  
  
"I asked you a question!"  
  
"...I, it's not good for you, it makes you act vi...violent!"  
  
Red laughed, "Violent" he stopped laughing, "I'm not violent, I just have you to deal with"  
  
Eric was shocked, there was that same face again, the one that gave him nightmares, the one that loved to see him hurt!  
  
"Da...dad your not drunk are you?"  
  
Red laughed again, but it wasn't a cheerful, happy laugh, it was a dark disturbing laugh, which sent shivers down Eric's spine.  
  
"Eric, I just lost control the other night, I don't need to be drunk to discipline you!"  
  
The blood drained from Eric's face, he was beginning to feel queasy.  
  
"Bu...but you said you loved me!"  
  
Red smiled slightly, "If you thought I didn't love you, if I hurt you deliberately, would you have told anyone about our little secret".  
  
Eric fell silent.  
  
"You see, you don't want to be taken away do you, never see your mother again, you don't want her to know how you abandoned her, when she wakes up! Do you?"  
  
He paused.  
  
"This is just our secret, Ok, other wise, well I don't think you really want to know..." He trailed off.  
  
Eric was fighting off the tears that so desperately wanted to fall, just another reason to shed more tears. His father slumped slightly, staring at him. Suddenly he saw his fathers fist for a second, just a blur, as it came crashing down on him.  
  
He thought he heard his father's voice mumble, "...and don't touch my stuff again!" just before darkness took over him!  
  
When he awoke his whole body ached like hell again. He groaned as he got up, but the pain was too much and he just passed out again. Some time later he awoke again, this time being much more careful not to pass out. He reached up trying to grab something to keep him stable as he rose. Grabbing his side with his hand, he moaned with pain. His whole body felt like it had been torn apart. Somehow he got down the stairs and stumbled to the door.  
  
"Where do ya think you're going?"  
  
Eric tried to speak but it hurt to say a word.  
  
"I....I..."  
  
"Spit it out, boy!" he said getting frustrated.  
  
"I'm go...going to the...hospital!"  
  
It took all his energy just to say that one sentence.  
  
"No you're not," his father stated coldly.  
  
Eric looked at him pleading with his eyes; new tears had formed in them.  
  
"It's too suspicious, and anyway you'll just have to deal with it, it's you're fault your like this, pathetic!"  
  
"What about...school?"  
  
"What...you don't think you're staying here tomorrow do you?"  
  
"But I...I can hardly stand" he said, pure sadness taking over his face.  
  
"Well, you did get jumped by a group of guys, that's to be expected!"  
  
Eric felt like he would burst into tears any second. But he couldn't, he wouldn't let his father break him, he wasn't going to cry like a baby. He just sniffed and put on a brave face.  
The next day, he left early for school, limping as he tried to go as fast he could. He left half an hour earlier than he usually would. This was for two reasons, a) He was trying to avoid Donna and b) He knew it would take him forever to actually get to school. He knew she'd come up to him in school. But he just wanted to avoid her as much as he possibly could. This wasn't like him, but he didn't Donna seeing him like this, and she might get suspicious.  
  
Somehow he got to school just as the bell went. Stumbling through the corridors he finally came to his form room. Turning the knob he pushed himself inside. All eyes were on him as he dragged himself to a desk.  
  
"Are you alright Eric?" asked his concerned teacher, Mrs. Brumewood.  
  
"...Yer" he managed to mumble.  
  
He hadn't got any sleep last night. The pain conflicted on him was unbearable and it kept him up all night. Staring into nothingness, his eyelids began to flutter, he yawned and rested his head in his arms.  
  
"Eric Forman", "ERIC FORMAN!"  
  
He must have fallen asleep. Someone nudged him slightly, their elbow slightly making contact with his ribs. He let out a startled cry and whole class turned to stare at him. Eric held back tears and told them he was just still sore from being jumped by some guys. The class already knew. Their teacher had already told them while Eric must have been asleep. But Ms. Brumewood thought it was very strange that he was in school, in such an appalling state.  
  
"Eric, can I see you after the bell goes please?" she asked.  
  
The bell went. Eric shuffled towards Ms. Brumewood's desk.  
  
"Am I in trouble?" he asked sheepishly.  
  
"Oh, no, I just wanted to know why you are in school, you don't look well enough to be here. Why didn't you stay home today?"  
  
Eric thought for a second.  
  
"Well, you know me, can't get enough of school!"  
  
Ms. Brumewood smiled and told him he could go. Once again his humour had saved him. But he knew it couldn't save him from his so called father, if anything it would get him into more trouble!  
  
He could see by the look on his teacher's face that she knew something wasn't right, but he just hoped that she wasn't suspicious. He slowly walked out of the door.  
  
"ERIC"  
  
He heard a familiar voice shout from down the corridor. It was Donna. He tried to pretend he couldn't hear her and get to his next class before she could reach up to him. But at the speed he was going she caught up with him in just a few seconds.  
  
"Eric, didn't you hear me? Or."  
  
She stopped talking when she saw the state he was in.  
  
"Wha...what happened to you, Eric?" she asked, another concerned expression on her face.  
  
"Well...I was jumped by these guys and..." Donna interrupted.  
  
"Are you really telling me the truth Eric?"  
  
Donna was staring into his eyes as he spoke again. "Donna...I...I lied to you...  
Don't worry I'm working on the fifth chapter right now and it should be up before the weekend is over, it's just I have other stories, coursework, and homework and. Well I think you get my point! Please review this, please. thanx cya xxx 


	5. Dumped

Chapter 5: Dumped  
  
..."Donna...I...I lied to you..."  
  
Eric paused to think.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I, Well, I didn't just bump my head the other night...one of the guys who jumped me, he...he hit me...I didn't think I'd see him again.I felt embarrassed. I'm sorry I didn't tell ya earlier."  
  
"Oh Eric, there's no need to be embarrassed, I'm sure they were much bigger and older than you were..."  
  
"Yer...I don't really wanna talk about it..." he mumbled without looking up at her.  
  
"O...k, sure" Donna replied confused at his behaviour.  
  
"Well, I need to get to class"  
  
And with that he hurried off down the corridor and into his classroom.  
  
All day Donna bothered him with questions like:  
  
"Are you alright?" or "What's wrong?"  
  
He knew she only asked because she cared, but it was getting on his nerves having to keep lying to her. To top that, that one-day Hyde came into school after break, he hardly ever came into school. So there were more questions. He'd usually just sigh and say:  
  
"I'm fine, stop asking me questions!"  
  
By the end of the day the pain was slowly diminishing from his body, but his head still ached like hell. He'd tried to concentrate in his classes but hadn't been very successful. He almost fell asleep in one of them again!  
  
But now he was sat on his couch back at home. Wondering what would unfold that night. Red was late home again. He came home at about seven and thankfully for Eric went straight to bed. He couldn't be bothered getting up off the couch to go to bed. It was about nine O'clock when he heard a tapping noise on the basement door. As he rose, a shock of pain froze his whole body. He felt the tears beginning to build up in his eyes but he fought to hold them back. He staggered over to the door and slowly opened it. Before he had a chance to say anything Hyde hurried past him and rested himself on his couch.  
  
"Got any chips or whatever to eat, man?"  
  
Eric hesitated; he didn't want his father to wake up.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked intently.  
  
"Hey, chill out man, Donna said you've been acting weird lately, just came to see what's up!"  
  
"Oh, rite, well you have to go!"  
  
"What...why?"  
  
"You just have to, please, c'mon!"  
  
"Wait, wait" Hyde stated stopping him!  
  
"What's going on with you man? You're acting really weird!"  
  
"I...I just I'm tired ok, I wanna be on my own, ok!"  
  
Eric was getting upset, Hyde was raising his voice and he didn't want his father to hear them. So he did the only thing he could to get Hyde out his house.  
  
"Hyde, I...I don't want you here, ok, I don't like you and I never did, get out of my house and go away, I...I hate you" He said this as though he was shouting but he was actually almost whispering. But he didn't mean it, God he didn't mean it!  
  
Hyde looked very hurt. Although he didn't like to admit it, Eric was and always had been his best friend. He felt a mixture of sadness and anger. Eric looked as though he meant it, he was putting all his pain into that one look he gave Hyde and it seemed to convince him that he was serious. Hyde left after knocking Eric to the floor and running out the door.  
  
Tears were in Hyde's eyes as he ran down the driveway bumping into Donna.  
  
"What's wrong Hyde?" she asked concernedly.  
  
Hyde didn't say anything he just kept on running down the road. Donna had a puzzled yet worried look on her face. She turned around and headed for Eric's basement door. It was locked. She began to tap on it, when Eric appeared behind it. He looked as though he was in physical pain, but not as much as he looked emotionally pained.  
  
His eye's were slightly red from crying and looked sore from being rubbed a lot.  
  
"Eric let me in!" Donna said even more worriedly.  
  
"I'm, I'm sorry Donna, I need you to go, please just go away?"  
  
Eric tried to stop his tears but he couldn't, he was getting rid of both his best friends, and nothing Red could ever do to him was as painful as this.  
  
"Eric, I'm not gonna go, I don't know what you said to Hyde to make him so upset, but it wont work on me, you can't push me away, because I know something's wrong!"  
  
Eric stared down at the floor.  
  
"Good bye Donna" he said quietly but with so much hidden emotion.  
  
He turned and ran upstairs quietly. He threw himself on his bed and cried some more...  
  
Why was this happening to him? He never did anything to harm anyone. All he did was do what he was told and now he had to tell his two best friends, mostly his only friends to leave him alone and never come back. He couldn't let his mother down though. He loved her too much. He had to be there when she woke up.  
  
He asked himself the same question over and over again but he could never come up an answer! He stared up at the ceiling until his eyelids were heavy; he was almost asleep when he heard a loud bang on his door!!!  
  
Don't worry I have the whole weekend nights to do more chapters, so review, review, review...while your waiting!!! Bye luv Cesca xxx 


	6. Take It Like A Man

Chapter 6: Like a Real Man!  
  
The door swung open. Red stood in its way. That look was in his eyes again. That glaring, dark look, which sent shivers down Eric's spine. Eric gulped.  
  
"D.....Dad I did all my chores, I......"  
  
He was violently interrupted as his father backhanded him, and he almost crumpled to the floor. But somehow he managed to stay standing. He pushed the tears back and got ready for what was coming!  
  
"You, think I care. You weak little shit. Maybe if you weren't such a little weakling you'd be able to take this like a real man!"  
  
Red was so close to him; he could feel his hot raspy breath touching his face. His eyes were slightly watering, but he sniffed and choked back the tears. If his father wanted him to take it like a real man, then fine, he would, he'd show his father he was a lot stronger than him! He hid his emotions, and sucked in a breath of air. He stood up straight and looked his father in the eye.  
  
"You think you're all tough now do you?" Red sneered  
  
He chuckled and then knocked Eric to ground. Eric screwed his eyes up for a second and then pulled himself back up. Staring straight back into Red's face again.  
  
Red laughed and kicked him in the legs. Knocking him back to the floor, he began to swing hits at him any chance he got. Eric clamped his eyes shut covering his face with his arms and pulling his knees up to his stomach to protect it. He thought about screaming or asking his father to stop. But he soon brushed that thought out of his head. That would show a sign of weakness, and he couldn't give up!  
  
So he just took it. He laid there, his body tightened; trying to block out the pain that racked his body and he took it. His father slammed his foot into Eric's face and he couldn't help but let out a cry of shock and pain.  
  
He slowly opened his eyes. Red loomed over him. A huge evil smile printed on his face. Eric sighed; he wondered when the beating would end. He thought, maybe just maybe his father would let him be now.  
  
Red still stared down at him like he was waiting for something and Eric knew exactly what he was waiting for. He slowly rose from his place on the floor, which was now smudged with blood. He tried to stand up straight again, but his sore twisted muscles wouldn't let him. He flinched as his father rested a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Again his father laughed.  
  
"Well, at least you're learning" he mocked.  
  
Eric's eyes were now heavy, and he struggled to keep them open, his father could see this and moved closer towards him once more.  
  
"I guess I need to wake you up a bit more" he said giving Eric a cold glare.  
  
Eric breathed heavily.  
  
"Let him stop now, let him stop now" Eric said silently to himself.  
  
But he knew these were just false hopes. His father would never stop; he'd keep on hurting him, no matter how long he took the beatings.  
  
Eric cried out as his father grabbed a handful of his hair and began to drag him out of his room. He slung him down the stairs, and by some miracle he managed not to break a bone!  
  
Once at the bottom of the stairs he was dragged into the living room, where he was left to rest for a moment. Up until now Eric had somehow held the tears at bay, and he was determined to keep it that way.  
  
Red went over to a drawer and when he came back he had something in his hand. As to the darkness of the house and the state of his eyesight at that moment Eric couldn't work out what he was holding. But a sudden fear struck him. At least when Red was hitting him, he knew what was going on, but right now he hadn't got a clue what his father was going to do.  
  
He gulped again. He dare not speak. He could not plead or beg, or show any signs of weakness to Red, this would just provoke him even more.  
  
Red was now towering over him.  
  
"Lie down on you're stomach"  
  
Eric hesitated. "What was his father going to do?"  
  
"Get down now, or I'll make you do push ups for an hour straight you little..." Red trailed off as Eric lay on his stomach staring at the blood stained carpet beneath him. Red pulled Eric's already torn to shred t-shirt up exposing his bloody and bruised flesh.  
  
"You know, you drove me to this, it's you're fault you're mother's in a coma right now..."  
  
"What?" Eric said almost silently.  
  
WHACK!  
  
Red brought a leather belt with its metal head down on the unsuspecting Eric.  
  
An intense pain shot through his body and left him trembling in pain. His back throbbed like hell. Eric couldn't hold the tears back no longer and they crept out from underneath his tightly shut eyelids.  
  
"...That's right, it's your fault..."  
  
CRACK!  
  
"...If you had done you're chores the morning she fell..."  
  
SMACK  
  
"...Then she wouldn't have been doing them and..."  
  
WHACK  
  
"...She would still be here!"  
  
At this last statement he gave Eric a kick to the ribs and left him, throwing the belt to the ground beside him. The pain was unbearable. His back felt like it was on fire. But thankfully soon after his father left he fell into unconsciousness....  
  
Eric stared up at the living room ceiling. He was still lying on the floor from last night. He felt scared, pained and alone and he missed his friends. But he knew he couldn't be their friend anymore. The pressure was too unbearable for him and he didn't think he deserved their company now, not after the way he treated them! He couldn't let them see the state he was in anyway.  
  
His father walked into the room.  
  
"Oh, you're awake, are ya? It's ten in the morning, ya not going to school today, plus looks like it'll take you all day to do your chores!" Red chuckled slightly as he left the room.  
  
Eric felt slightly glad he wasn't allowed to go to school and although he didn't like staying in his house which now resembled a prison to him more than his home, with Red, he'd rather not face school, his friends, teachers, or anybody for that matter! But still there was an eerie air smothering him in that house!  
  
He dragged himself up from where he had been lay all night and pushed himself to go on. When he got to the door he stopped and turned around. He stared back into the room. The screams still echoed through his head. He could almost see himself laying in the middle of the room, his father looming over him presenting him with more and more blows.  
  
He fought back the images his imagination or memory created in front of him and shuffled towards the stairs. He managed to get upstairs and get himself into the bathroom where he examined his face and body in the mirror.  
  
"Oh God" he said to himself sighing.  
  
Blood stained almost every part of his face, which was now many different colours due to many different bruises. His hair stuck up towards the ceiling and his skinny form was starting to look even thinner. He removed his shredded clothes and stared at the red bloody lines, which covered his back!  
  
He suddenly remembered what his father had said.  
  
"Was he right? Was it his fault?"  
  
Eric usually ignored his father's insults or comments, but still he felt a wave of guilt pass over him and he couldn't shake it off. Tears welled up in his eyes.  
  
"NO, No, it can't be my fault, I didn't even know, I didn't even know"  
  
He quieted down at the thought of his father hearing him and stared blankly into the mirror once more. He tried to convince himself that his father was just trying to make excuses for his behaviour. But no matter how hard he tried, the guilt wouldn't budge. The tears wouldn't stop and they soon turned into sobs as Eric turned on the taps to the hot water.  
  
He lay in the shower. Drowning out his sobs with the rushing water. It began to burn his skin, but he didn't budge. He deserved it! He put his own mother in a coma. He deserved what he got...  
  
Well this is chapter 6, hope you like, it and please, please review this chapter, I think it's pretty dramatic and good, although sad!!! Don't worry though; it'll have a happy ending I'm sure, well probably... now go on, go on, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! 


	7. Feeling Safe

Chapter 7: Feeling Safe  
  
*RING, RING, RING*  
  
Eric stopped scrubbing at the bloodstains on the living room carpet and reached for the phone. It was probably red checking up on him. Warning him. Laughing at him!  
  
"He...hello" he answered,  
  
"Hi Eric, its Ms Brumewood, I was just wondering if you were ok. I mean you never miss school."  
  
Eric smiled at the fact that Ms. Brumewood sounded concerned about him.  
  
"Hey Ms.....yer, I'm not feeling too good"  
  
"Oh.....well, I hope you get better soon" she stated.  
  
Eric thanked her and ended the conversation. When soon after that the phone rang again?  
  
He sighed and picked it up. Surely it must be either his teacher again or Red.  
  
"Hello"  
  
"Shouldn't you be in school?" said the annoying voice on the other end of the line.  
  
It was Laurie.  
  
Eric's smile faded. Although he didn't like to admit it, he was very jealous of her and would love to be spoilt than have this way of life.  
  
"I'm ill," he said flatly.  
  
"Bet ya just faking it, you little runt, now go get mom!"  
  
Eric pulled a confused face.  
  
"Wha.....what I can't get mom"  
  
"Where is she, I got kicked outta collage again, I need to speak to her"  
  
"Da-ja-vu" Eric said sarcastically.  
  
"Listen, didn't Red call you?" he asked anxiously. He preferred calling his  
  
father by his name, as he no longer really considered him somewhat of a father.  
  
"No, why? And why are you calling dad by his name?"  
  
"Mo.....Mom's in hospital, she had a fall" Eric repeated his dad's words.  
  
"What, when?" she asked concerned.  
  
"A couple of days ago, she, she's in coma, she might never wake up!"  
  
Eric was almost in tears now.  
  
"Why.......why didn't dad tell me about this?"  
  
"I dunno, I don't think you should come home though!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Eric thought for a second, he hated Laurie but he didn't hate her so much that he wanted her to go through what he was going through.....  
  
"Because, Red's, well he's acting a bit strange and I don't think he wants anyone else around right now"  
  
"But it's ok for you to be there? And stop calling him Red!"  
  
"Believe me if I had anywhere else to go, I would be there"  
  
"How can you say that about living with dad?"  
  
"You're not living with him," he whispered under his breath.  
  
"Dunno, look....." Eric fiercely coughed; he grabbed some tissues and spat blood into them.  
  
"Are you alright?" Laurie asked going back to being concerned again. It was unusual for her to be concerned about Eric.  
  
"....Yer, fine, well just a bit ill, otherwise I'd be in school"  
  
He was sick of saying he was fine. It was never true!  
  
"I'm coming home!" Laurie stated. "I'll see you soon"  
  
Before Eric could try and stop her; the phone had already been slammed down. He couldn't stop her now. But what if she found out his secret, found out he had put his mother in a coma.  
  
He got back down on his hands and knees and began scraping at the carpet again.....  
  
The front door shut, Eric heard it. Red was home. Eric was lying on the couch, resting his eyes. He hadn't eaten in more than twenty-four hours and his stomach growled angrily. He didn't care, he told himself he wasn't hungry and that he didn't deserve to eat anyway.  
  
He pulled his attention away from resting and to the noise of the front door shutting.  
  
"Get up you lazy dumbass!"  
  
Eric had a question for Red, so he just came out straight away and asked it. Although he didn't know whether it would provoke him more!  
  
"Why didn't you tell Laurie about what happened with mom?"  
  
Red fell silent for a moment.  
  
"I did but once she heard how you put her there, she didn't want to stay in a house with you, that's what I've got to put up with!"  
  
He knew he'd probably get another beating tonight, so he thought he'd make the most out of the situation.  
  
Eric smiled slightly and sniggered.  
  
"That's not what she told me, she didn't know anything about what happened and in fact when she heard about it, she said she was coming straight back home!"  
  
"Why, you little....."  
  
Red trailed off as he heard a key in the lock of the front door.  
  
"Guess she's here then" Eric stated a huge grin on his face.  
  
He knew by the look on Red's face that he wouldn't do anything to him in front of Laurie. He had won. But he still knew Red would make him pay for what he had done, what he had said to him!  
  
"Go to you're room" he stated coldly and then headed into the hallway. "And  
  
don't you dare tell her anything!"  
  
Red rushed to the door.  
  
Eric disappeared up the stairs before Laurie could even see him.  
  
"Daddy, is it true about mom?"  
  
Red hesitated. ".....Yes, I'm afraid so darling"  
  
The last thing Eric heard that day was the sound of Laurie bursting into tears at what her father was saying. After that he fell onto his bed and drifted to sleep. Feeling safer than he had been in a long time, but still feeling bad for Laurie for the first time ever!  
  
Well, I know it's depressing, but I'm gonna try and bring back Donna and Hyde and maybe have them all go have some fun and have them find out eventually, help him through it, and maybe Laurie too, and then Red gets taken away, blah, blah, blah, I think you get the gist of it, I'm gonna have a happy ending, but until then try and get through it, for me! Well, hope you like it, and please REVIEW! Tell me if ya want me to carry on with this! Bye 


	8. If You Knew!

Chapter 8: If you knew!  
  
Tap, Knock, Knock!  
  
"Eric, Eric are you awake?"  
  
Eric lay asleep on his bed; he had felt too exhausted to remove his tatty clothes, torn from trying to finish his chores on time. He'd also forgotten to clean the dried blood from his face and body.  
  
"Eric" Laurie whispered again slightly louder.  
  
Eric didn't reply. He was in a deep sleep. When suddenly he started to moan and strain about on the bed. As though he was trying to get away from something, although his eyes lay tightly closed.  
  
"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry,..." he mumbled.  
  
"What?"  
  
Laurie stepped into his room edged closer towards him.  
  
"Please sir...don't"  
  
She stopped when she caught sight of the state of him.  
  
"Oh my God"  
  
But she could only see some of the results of Red's anger. She stepped a little closer, close enough to see the large angry bruises covering Eric's face, close enough to the torn blood streaked clothes he wore, close enough to hear his cries!  
  
Tears began to seep through his tightly shut eyelids and streak down his face. Laurie saw this and went over to him. She couldn't understand how he had gotten in such a state, but she suddenly felt so much sympathy for the small skinny teenage boy who lay trembling in front of her.  
  
"Eric, it's ok, shhh..." she whispered as she lay a hand on his shoulder.  
  
At this act Eric awoke and pulled back towards the wall. He still hadn't opened his eyes. And pulled himself further into the wall, holding his knees to his chest. He didn't dare open his eyes, for fear of who might be standing in front of him.  
  
He began to shake even more uncontrollably than he had just been doing.  
  
"I'm sorry, please don't, not with Laurie here!"  
  
"Eric" came a soft voice.  
  
That wasn't Red's voice. It was Laurie's. He slowly opened his eyes and stared up at her.  
  
"Oh God" he said to himself "Now she knows"  
  
He could see by the confused and shocked look on her face that she knew. He expected her to ask him what he'd done to make Red so angry with him. But she didn't she stood there in silence, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
After about five minutes of silence Eric spoke.  
  
"Wha...what are ya thinking?"  
  
Laurie blinked away some of her tears and sniffed. She didn't reply to his question and instead threw a different one back at him.  
  
"Did Daddy do this to you?"  
  
Eric's stared down. He tried to come up with a suitable lie. He couldn't say it was still the results of getting jumped. That excuse was out-lived.  
  
"I...I fell..."  
  
"Tell me the truth Eric, please!"  
  
Eric still couldn't say anything. If he told her the truth she would hate him for it.  
  
"What truth are you talking about?"  
  
It was no use lying to her though. She knew and she wasn't going to walk out of that room until he backed up her suspicions. She gave him a look of sadness and whispered in another soft voice...  
  
"Eric, I know I never show you that I care about you, but when it really matters...I do, and I care about why you're so hurt, so please tell me the truth, the real truth, now how did you get so...beaten up?"  
  
Eric was stuck. He'd have to tell her what had happened and he knew he wasn't going to enjoy it.  
  
"It wasn't his...it wasn't Red's fault, he just...he, well it was..." Eric paused not knowing how to get an explanation out.  
  
Laurie could see him struggling as he tried to tell her about it.  
  
"Eric, just tell me why you have those cuts and bruises? That's all"  
  
Eric looked away.  
  
"Red did it," he stated just before bursting out crying.  
  
Although Laurie loved her father at that moment, her depiction of him changed dramatically. She now felt so guilty and angry about all the times he'd called her darling and Eric a dumbass. About all the times he'd got her anything she wanted while Eric had to work for it even though he was years younger than her.  
  
She leaned over and held Eric in her arms. He cried into her shoulder and flinched slightly as Laurie hugged him closer to her.  
  
She now realised how spoilt she'd been acting all these years. She always knew really, she guessed she was in a strange way jealous of Eric's maturity even though he was her little brother.  
  
"I'm sorry," she stated sympathetically. "God, I'm so sorry"  
  
Eric moved away from her, looking up into her face.  
  
"Why...why are you sorry, it's all my fault"  
  
"What, what do you mean your fault, how could dad beating you be your own fault"  
  
"Because..." Eric didn't want to tell her, he should have kept his mouth shut. He became silent and looked away from her.  
  
"Why Eric, why is it your fault?"  
  
Eric wiped away his tears and sighed.  
  
"Please just let me go to sleep! And...don't tell anyone, please"  
  
Before Laurie could protest he stated louder "Please!"  
  
Laurie seeing how much he hated the idea of telling her whatever it was he was hiding stood to leave.  
  
But before she did she said "Eric, what ever it is, I'll be on your side, remember that! I'm sorry about being the worst sister ever!"  
  
She turned to leave.  
  
"Your not!" Eric stated forcing a smile from his lips.  
  
After she had closed the door he cursed under his breath. "If you knew, you wouldn't be on my side!"  
  
He rested back onto his bed and fell asleep again.  
  
Well, from about here things should get better, and hey maybe I'll add a twist! But I promise you a happy ending! Oh and don't worry about Red's personality change, I'm working on summit! Oh and don't worry, there will be retribution, but you didn't see anyone getting revenge on Saddam Hussein anytime soon and they still aint got him! I'm just making it practical to my storyline, so hang on...if ya can! Cya, Cesca, xxx 


	9. Motionless!

Chapter 9: Motionless  
  
"HOW COULD YOU, I'M ASHAMED TO EVEN CALL YOU MY DAD!"  
  
Eric's eyelids slowly opened. He could hear yelling coming from downstairs and then the thump of heavy footstep coming up them.  
  
"HE TOLD YOU DIDN'T HE!"  
  
Eric shot up from his bed. That was his father's voice, his father's cold angry voice.  
  
"NO, IT'S OBVIOUS, HE'S COVERED IN CUTS AND BRUISES FROM HEAD TO TOE"  
  
Eric had never really hidden from his father before, but he knew what was coming and he didn't want Laurie there to see it happen. So after a split second of standing in the same spot, Eric dashed for the closet. Not entirely appropriate as there's no way of escaping from there but still a place to be hidden from sight!  
  
"ERIC!"  
  
The shouts echoed around his bedroom and back to him. He gulped. And tried to slow his breathing. His heart was pounding loudly at his chest. He began willing his heart to stop for just second so his body wouldn't make a sound. He tried to adjust his eyes to the pitch-black darkness of the closet and shuffled over further as silently as possible. Crouching at the far side of the closet. Facing the floor, he hid himself under a pile of clothes and waited...  
  
He could hear footsteps shuffling around the room and shouts from both his father and Laurie!  
  
Suddenly the closet door swung open!  
  
"STOP OR I'M CALLING THE POLICE!"  
  
Unfortunately even though Eric was trying so hard to shut down his central nervous system, he could not stop the uncontrollable shaking he was so desperately trying to hide.  
  
The light stung his eyes as the pile of old clothes was ripped away from him, revealing his petrified quivering form.  
  
"Thought you could hide from me, did ya?"  
  
"Daddy, I'm calling the police now so you better not do anything crazy" Laurie said, the phone shaking around in her trembling hands.  
  
Suddenly Red shot around and knocked the phone out of her hands, slamming it against the wall, into a pile of plastic and wires.  
  
"I don't think so, sweet heart!" Red said almost too calm.  
  
"Come on Eric, we're going" she said in a low but petrified voice as she stretched her hand out towards him.  
  
She felt so much for him at that moment, as he crouched as far back into the closet as possible shaking like a cornered little animal.  
  
Red just knocked her arm away, and reached down for Eric, grabbing a handful of his hair and dragging him out by it. Then he threw him in the direction of Laurie. by reflex he crouched up against the wall and curled up into a tight ball.  
  
"STOP, DAD" she screamed.  
  
But her cries were effortless against Red as he plunged towards them. Eric had his head in his arms and was crying now. The realization that not even with Laurie around he could be abused had been the last straw to crack him and Red knew this.  
  
He laughed evilly as he watched his son mumbling something that sounded like "Please" over and over again, rocking side to side, as he cried into his arms. "YOU MONSTER!" Laurie screamed, standing in front of Eric.  
  
Seeing that he wasn't going to stop, she looked around at Eric; he looked so innocent and hurt. Grabbing a lamp from a nearby drawer, she threw it straight for Red's head.  
  
The piercing sounding of smashing ceramic echoed through the house. Red was now lying on the floor, no visible movement coming from him. The room fell silent except for the saddening sound of Eric's whimpers and the faint sound of Laurie's heavy breathing.  
  
She stared blankly down at the body of her father. Was he dead? Did she kill him? After a moment she noticed another sound of heavy breathing. She turned towards the door, to see Donna standing at it, shock in her eyes!  
  
Donna noticed a crying Eric in the corner of the room, and ran over to him.  
  
She looked at him and then turned to Laurie who stood motionless in the middle of the room.  
  
"What...what happened?" she asked concerned yet very confused.  
  
Laurie didn't respond for a few seconds and then asked, "Can I use your phone?"  
  
"Ye...r" Donna replied still needing to know what the hell had happened.  
  
And with that Laurie disappeared out of the room.  
  
Donna reached over and touched Eric tenderly on the shoulder. By reflex Eric scrambled away from her, shaking even harder. He didn't know why he was acting this way. He ached all over and he trembled with fear.  
  
"Eric, what's wrong? I'm not gonna hurt ya" Donna said kind-heartedly.  
  
Eric didn't answer, he didn't even take his head from out of his arms.  
  
Donna had tears in her eyes now; she could see so much blood staining his body through the millions of holes, which covered his clothes. She could see the cuts and bruises and the marks, which were imprinted on his face and arms and body.  
  
She glanced over at the body lying on the floor, and back at Eric. It seemed quite obvious to her now. Why he was so afraid of being touched. Why Red lay motionless on the floor, and why Laurie was acting the way she was. She hated herself for not knowing earlier.  
  
After a second she moved over to Red's body and checked his pulse. He wasn't dead, just unconscious.  
  
"She said she wouldn't tell, she said she wouldn't, why did she tell?" Eric began to mumble again.  
  
"Eric, it's ok now, Red's not gonna hurt you again." She stated warmly.  
  
She leaned over and brushed Eric's tatty hair out of his face, revealing his eyes so full of hurt and pain.  
  
"Oh Eric, what did he do to you?"  
  
She pulled him into a gentle hug, but this time he didn't move away. He just lay limp in her arms. Suddenly he began to cry harder than he had ever cried before. He pulled her closer to him, and cried uncontrollably into her shoulder as the sound of sirens neared.  
  
The hug felt so warm against his cold and bruised skin. For that moment he could just forget about how bad his life was and the mental and physical pain he was in. He didn't want to ever let go; he wanted to stay in her arms forever!  
  
"Please don't leave me," he whispered so silently that he didn't know if she'd actually heard him although she was only millimeters away.  
  
"I wont," she whispered back as loud voices rung from downstairs.  
  
At that moment darkness began to fall over Eric.  
  
"Eric, Eric" the faint sound of Donna's voice drifted in the air as it slowly faded away.  
  
Eric lay motionless in her arms as paramedics flooded into the room.  
  
Well this is chapter 9, don't worry it's not over yet, there's still a lot more to go! So keep on checking for more, sorry this chapter took so long! My computer broke down, some Japanese virus! Tell me if you've ever got it. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter and all the b4 it! Bye, Cesca x 


	10. Broken Inside!

Chapter 10: Broken Inside  
  
"Honey, honey, wake up, darling"  
  
"Mom"  
  
Eric adjusted his eyes to his surroundings. He was at home in his bed. He looked up to see his mother standing over him, smiling warmly.  
  
"Mom, you...you're out of the coma"  
  
"Where's dad?" he asked wearily.  
  
Suddenly the sincere smile Kitty was wearing contorted into an angry grin and she began to change until, what was standing in front of Eric wasn't his mother at all. It was Red!  
  
"Right Here" he sneered.  
  
And then with an evil laugh he lunged forward to hit Eric.  
  
"NO, NO, STOP..."  
  
"Eric, Eric wake up, it's just a dream Eric, wake up!"  
  
He was breathing quite heavily by now and was covered in sweat. Tears had already begun to streak his face. He had been dreaming. It was just a terrible nightmare. But it felt so real!  
  
He raised his eyelids. This time he saw Donna standing above him, a worried look on her face. He was still scared that she was going to morph into Red again.  
  
"Are you ok?" she asked, and then thought to herself, "I doubt he'll ever be ok after this"  
  
He looked up into her eyes and sighed. He didn't answer her he just turned and stared up at the ceiling. He was in the hospital again, staring up at that same ceiling. He quickly turned to his other side. His mother still lay in that same bed. Still in a coma!  
  
Changing the subject Eric began to talk.  
  
"Do you think she'll ever come out of that coma?" he wasn't really expecting an answer.  
  
He was more or less asking himself than anyone else, he just happened to say it out loud!  
  
"I hope so" Donna replied.  
  
"It's my fault anyway," he mumbled to quiet for Donna to hear.  
  
"What?" Donna questioned trying to figure out what he had said.  
  
"Nothing" he replied meekly.  
  
"Eric, Laurie has been here for the last two days, she only just went to get a drink for us, she's been really worried"  
  
"Yer right" he said sarcastically.  
  
"Yer, that is right"  
  
"If she cared about me so much, why did she have to go and tell dad I told her, he's gonna kill me now, he's find me and kill me and there's nothing anyone can do!"  
  
"She didn't mean to, she was trying to help and no one's gonna hurt you the way he did, never, never again!"  
  
Eric turned back to his other side again, away from his mother. He couldn't bear looking at her almost lifeless body any longer.  
  
"Sure" He couldn't be bothered to argue with her.  
  
"You know we've all been really worried about you, Hyde got everyone to sign this and he's came to see you a few times"  
  
She pulled out a gigantic colourful card with big bright letters stating 'GET WELL!' on the front of it. Hundred of signatures littered it. And at the very bottom in Hyde's handwriting it said:  
  
'Hey, Eric, I hope we can be friends again, if I'd known you were going through such a ruff time I wouldn't have acted the way I did. Hope you get well soon, coz I hear you still aint seen Godfather 2, so when you get out, you, Donna and me can go see it! So GET WELL man, coz we're all missing ya here at school. Well I'm probably not in school when ya reading this, no matter what time of day it is. Cya Later!!!!!! Ya best mate Stephen Hyde'  
  
Eric smiled. Slightly because he didn't think Hyde would dare to actually make such a happy, bright card like this but mostly because his best friend hadn't abandoned him, he cared!  
  
Other little messages covered the card. Including one from his form teacher, Ms. Brumewood, it said:  
  
'Hope you get much better and all the teachers are missing all your humour here at school; I'll see you soon, Ms. Brumewood x'  
  
"Ah, a smile, haven't seen that in so long!" said Laurie as she entered the room.  
  
Eric was about to blank her out. He was still mad at her for telling Red about the things he had told her. But he really couldn't be bothered. He knew she didn't mean to get him into trouble. After all she had saved him.  
  
"Hey" he said casually looking up and raising his eyebrows at the same time.  
  
"Are you feeling better?"  
  
"Yer" he said lying slightly. He was still a bit freaked out by the dream.  
  
Laurie noticed the new tears that streaked his face. But didn't question about them.  
  
Seeing that look on her face he rubbed at his face and eyes. Scraping at the dried streaks that covered it.  
  
He wasn't going to dare ask where his father was, for fear of another morphing scare, in another nightmare.  
  
"Can I have some water, please?" he asked, his throat-feeling sore.  
  
"Yer, sure" Donna leaned over grasping a small plastic cup in her hand and gave it to him.  
  
"Thanks" he replied.  
  
"Eric we have to tell you something" Donna paused.  
  
Laurie looked down at the floor.  
  
"It's about you're dad" she added.  
  
She could see the fear in his eyes at just the mention of his father.  
  
"What...what about him?" he asked, flashes of his nightmare coming back to him.  
  
"I don't want to alarm you, but...but he's in this hospital, don't worry he's..."  
  
"WHAT, I need to get outta here, I can't stay here then, he'll kill me, he'll kill me!"  
  
"Eric stop, he's still unconscious and ill, he won't harm you, and there's something else you have to know..."  
  
"NO, no, he wont be unconscious forever, I can't stay here," he said dashing for the door.  
  
"ERIC, it's more likely he can hurt you if you're alone!" Laurie shouted after him.  
  
Eric turned around. He looked down at himself. He was still in his hospital gown and he hadn't noticed before but his skin had a kind of musty coloured kind of tint to it. He thought about what she had said, he wanted to get out of the hospital. She was right though; he would be all alone with no one to help him!  
  
He headed back towards his hospital room.  
  
"Come, sit down" Donna stated as he entered the room again.  
  
He sat down beside her. Wondering what was so important that she had to tell him.  
  
"Eric, your father, well, the doctors say the man, the Red who hurt you wasn't you're father. They say he has a tumor, in his head. They don't think he has much time left to live. Apparently the tumor has gotten too big for treatment, and it effected how violent he was. It made him act like a completely different person. The last few stages of it make a person act very aggressive towards people, even loved ones."  
  
Donna paused. She didn't expect any forgiveness towards Red, heck she didn't feel the slightest bit of it, even if the doctors said it wasn't his fault. She still couldn't believe it wasn't his fault anyway!  
  
Eric looked up at Laurie. She had tears in her eyes. Eric couldn't cry anymore. All he had been doing is crying, and he couldn't do it anymore.  
  
"So, if dad dies and mom's in a coma" he said in a shaken voice. "What's gonna happen to me, to Laurie"  
  
He knew Laurie was too old for to go into care, but he knew she couldn't make it on her own, without a job, without a home.  
  
"Unless, Kitty, unless your mom wakes up some time soon, I...I don't know"  
  
Just then Laurie leaned over and hugged Eric. She was still crying almost silently. He didn't know whether she was crying for him, for mom and dad or for herself but he didn't say anything.  
  
He still felt broken inside. Like he could never be fixed. And if he could, it certainly wouldn't be easy...  
  
Hey, well you said update soon, so I couldn't keep myself from writing this as soon as possible, thanx for all you're reviews, very motivating! Well tell me if you liked this chapter too! Bye until the next chapter x 


	11. Guilty

Chapter 11: Guilty  
  
Eric lay in his hospital bed trying to brush away any thoughts of his future, it was hard enough having to deal with his mother and father, but not knowing where he'd even end up was just scary!  
  
He stared back in his mother's direction. He missed her voice, her gentle hugs, even that freakishly weird laugh she always did but most all he missed the love she gave him. He could never get that kind of love again.  
  
A quiet tapping at the door awoke him from his trance. He turned to see who it was. Ms. Brumewood began to make her way over to his bed.  
  
"Hello Eric, it's nice to see you're awake" she smiled honestly and sat down on a chair beside his bed.  
  
"Yer, sure" he muttered trying not to sound rude.  
  
"So are you feeling better now?" she asked never changing her expression.  
  
Eric didn't know how to answer that question truthfully. Laurie and Donna had told him he needed to tell the truth or no one could understand how to help him. But even coming from them he still didn't trust that theory.  
  
"Yes" he stated flatly.  
  
"Are you sure? You looked very down when I came in"  
  
Ms. Brumewood cursed herself for saying such a careless thing, of course he wasn't alright it was doubtful he'd ever be alright again, not after what that monster did to him.  
  
"Well, I've just found out my father's dying, and I'll probably be put into care because it's unlikely my mom's gonna wake up any time soon!" he said getting frustrated.  
  
"I'm sorry," she stated feeling quite guilty.  
  
"Don't be. It's all my fault anyway!"  
  
"What's your own fault, Eric, I'm sure that can't be true"  
  
"BUT IT IS!" he shouted.  
  
Ms. Brumewood was slightly taken back by his sudden burst of anger. She didn't know whether he was angry at her or himself.  
  
"If I had done my chores the morning she fell, then she wouldn't have done them, she wouldn't have fell, she'd still..." Eric trailed off into sobs.  
  
"No, no Eric, it wasn't your fault"  
  
"It was...it was, I deserved everything he did to me, I deserved it and I should be lying there, in a coma right now, not my mom, I should be the one in the coma..."  
  
Her heart was breaking as he said each word. To think he thought it was his own fault his mother was in a coma, his own fault his father beat the crap out of him.  
  
Eric couldn't get any more words out. He was to shaken with uncontrollable tears to respond to anything.  
  
Ms. Brumewood tried to sound as gentle as she could.  
  
"Eric, is that what your father told you?"  
  
After a short while he managed to choke out some words.  
  
"He...he was right"  
  
"Eric, what did he do to you?"  
  
"HE JUST GAVE ME WHAT I DESERVED!" he screamed at her.  
  
Then he turned away from her and told her he wanted to sleep now. She finally gave up when he wouldn't answer her.  
  
"I'll come back later then," she said as she began to walk towards the door.  
  
"Oh and Eric, it's not your fault, please don't blame yourself. Remember your father is an ill man. He didn't know what he was talking about"  
  
Then she left.  
  
Eric sighed. He couldn't accept what she was saying. It made too much sense to him that it was his fault. He could only accept what Red had programmed into him. Of course it was his fault. If he had done his chores, his mom would have been ok.  
  
He was facing his mother again, "Oh, mom, why did I have to go and ruin everybody's life"  
  
A few hours later his doctor returned to his room.  
  
"How are you doing, Eric?" He asked trying to sound like it was just a casual question. But Eric could sense deep concern in his voice.  
  
Ms. Brumewood must have been talking to him. Although he did expect the doctor to be angry with him if he found out what he'd done!  
  
"I'm fine...why?" He was sick of people asking him if he was ok.  
  
"Eric, I've arranged for Mrs. Walker, a psychiatrist to come and see you!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"To talk about the mental damage your father has caused you, you have all this emotional baggage that you need let go of"  
  
Eric fell silent and looked away from the doctor.  
  
"Ok" he stated quietly.  
  
The doctor again left, almost bumping into Donna on his way out.  
  
"What was that about?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Oh nothing, he was just telling me how I have to see a psychiatrist."  
  
"Really, how do you feel about that?"  
  
"I dunno, I just want this to be all over"  
  
"I...saw Ms. Brumewood before, she didn't look very well, what were you and her talking about"  
  
Eric didn't say anything for a few seconds.  
  
"Not much, anyway can't wait to get out of here and go hang out with you and Hyde, I'm really starting to get bored here" he said trying to change the subject.  
  
"Eric!" Donna's gaze was on him.  
  
He didn't want her to know. He didn't want her to find out how it was his entire fault his mother was in a coma. Not Donna. He couldn't lose her.  
  
"Nothing, we just talked about my dad and I don't want to talk about him now so please can't we just talk about something else"  
  
"Alright, if that's what you really want"  
  
"Yes that's what I want!"  
  
Eric lay back in his bed.  
  
"So when's Hyde coming?"  
  
"Well, seems his mom's dragging him to a funeral for some relative he's never met before for a couple of days, so he won't be back until Monday."  
  
"What day is it today?"  
  
"Saturday"  
  
"Man, it's weird how time can fly even when you've got nothing to do but sleep!"  
  
"Well, you were asleep for thirty-six hours after you passed out. You must have been well exhausted!"  
  
"Yer, it's funny, I still feel so tired, I'll speak to ya later, ok?"  
  
"Yer, Cya"  
  
*Awww...*  
  
Eric didn't feel like talking. He'd even rather take the risk of meeting Red again, in his dreams or more like nightmares, he'd forgotten what dreams were like!  
  
Well, this is the whole chapter of this, sorry I haven't much in ages, I've got a bit of writers block! But I promise you I haven't given up on this story! Well, again hope ya like it so far.bye x 


	12. Three Wishes

Chapter 12: Three Wishes  
  
"Would you say you love your father, Eric?"  
  
"Eric?"  
  
"Eric, can you hear me?"  
  
Eric was daydreaming, like he had been for the last five minutes. He was always daydreaming about his future these days.  
  
"Eric?"  
  
He was finally broken from his trance after the third persistent calling of his name.  
  
"Ye...yes?" he questioned unsure of what his new psychiatrist, Mrs. Walker was going on about!  
  
Mrs. Walker was a small kind of women with wavy long brown hair and kind emerald eyes. She wore a light brown suit jacket and a long brown skirt. She was quite slim and had a warm smile, which reminded Eric of his own mother's smile.  
  
"I asked you if you love your father, Eric"  
  
"I thought I did" he half whispered and half mimed.  
  
But being a psychiatrist she was very good at listening and heard exactly what he said.  
  
"You thought, you mean your relationship or feelings towards your father have changed. Would you say you do not feel love towards your father any more?"  
  
Eric fell silent for a few seconds. He didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth to say something but the words wouldn't come out. So he just gave up and sat there, staring at the pale blue ground beneath his feet.  
  
"Ok, Eric, maybe we'll go back to that some other time" she stated smiling sincerely.  
  
For a moment Mrs. Walker slightly reminded him of Ms. Brumewood. She didn't seem the way he had pictured her. He thought she'd be sitting there, staring at him and waiting for an answer, showing no actual care towards him.  
  
"Eric, if you had three wishes, what would they be?"  
  
Eric was puzzled by this question. Not because he could not answer it but because he thought it was a pretty weird question to be asked by a psychiatrist.  
  
"I don't know...I guess I would want a million dollars, my own TV show and Olivia Newton-John as my girlfriend," He said letting a smile form on his lips.  
  
"Is that so?" She said chuckling slightly. "I hear your something of a comedian! Do you think we could be serious for a second?"  
  
"...Sure" he answered.  
  
"I guess what I would really want would be..." he thought for a few seconds, his cheeky grin fading.  
  
"I would want my mum to be awake, and my dad not to be ill and treat me with love and compassion and...and I would want to be the way I was, before my dad got...ill" He stared down at the floor again, trying to conceal his pain.  
  
"Well, sometimes wishes do come true, let's just hope some of your wishes come true!"  
  
"Yer" he mumbled back.  
  
Mrs. Walker was still smiling slightly. "What would you call your TV show then?"  
  
Eric's smile began to reappear.  
  
"Well I did always want my own TV show called 'My Crazy Life', or something like that, and I'd be the star of it, and get really famous, then everyone would take more notice of me!"  
  
"Really, and is that you want, to be noticed more?"  
  
"I guess"  
  
"Even getting noticed for being famous has its problems you know" she commented and then paused.  
  
"I know, but it has to be better than my life"  
  
Mrs. Walker sighed for a moment before speaking again.  
  
"Eric, it's not our problems that make our lives, it's the way we deal with them, there are some things in life we can't control that aren't our faults, but there are a lot of things that you can control, remember that."  
  
Eric looked up. No one had ever given him advice like that before. He nodded in reply and glanced around the room not knowing whether he should say anything in reply to what she had just said.  
  
"Sometimes it's hard to get over our problems and get on with our lives, but it's not impossible. But the only way I can help you is if you talk to me. Are you ready to talk about what happened to you, Eric?"  
  
He nodded again avoiding Mrs. Walker's eyes.  
  
"Alright then, Eric"  
  
As she sat in the big green woolly chair opposite Eric's bed she leaned over the arm of it and ducked her hands into a small black briefcase slumped to the side of Eric's bedside table. When she pulled hand out of the bag a small notepad lay in her hands a long with a black silver rimmed pen.  
  
"If you want to stop at any time just tell me, Eric"  
  
Again he nodded.  
  
Eric noticed that every one of Mrs. Walker's speeches or questions ended or begun with his name. He thought it to be quite humorous and grinned slightly to himself.  
  
"Now, Eric, can you tell me when you began to notice something wrong with your father?"  
  
His grin had faded as he begun to answer.  
  
"Well, probably when he first...hit me" Eric gulped at the thought. He hated having to think about it again.  
  
"Did you tell anyone about him hitting you, Eric?"  
  
Eric shook his head slowly.  
  
"Why was that, Eric?"  
  
"I don't know, I just didn't want to get into trouble, I thought if I just behaved as well as I could then he wouldn't do it again...I guess I was wrong"  
  
"After this happened why did you think he had hit you?"  
  
"Because I tried to stand up to him, he was always bullying me and making me do chores every minute of the day, I just told him I was sick of it, but then he..." Eric felt a lump in his throat and stopped his sentence abruptly.  
  
"Did you have a bruise from where he hit you, Eric?"  
  
He nodded sheepishly.  
  
"And, Eric, didn't anybody notice this bruise?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"What did you tell them had happened?"  
  
"I told her a tree had jumped out in front of me," Eric said smiling to himself.  
  
Mrs. Walker also smiled.  
  
"And who is this she?"  
  
"My best friend, Donna"  
  
"And why didn't you tell your best friend what had really happened?"  
  
"I didn't want her to know, I didn't want anybody to know"  
  
"Why didn't you want anyone to know, Eric?"  
  
"I don't know I just didn't, I thought it was just a once off thing, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it"  
  
"But it wasn't just once off thing was it Eric"  
  
Eric shook his head again. "No"  
  
"How often did your father hit you, Eric?"  
  
Eric's breathing began to get heavier and he could feel the sting of tears beginning to wash over his eyes. He felt slightly queasy and trying to change the subject asked:  
  
"Di...did you know that every time you speak you say my name? No offence but it gets slightly annoying after a while."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry if I've annoyed you Er..."  
  
Mrs. Walker trailed off and laughed slightly.  
  
"Oh, yes I see what you mean, I hadn't even noticed, well, if you want to know my fore name it's Angela, Angie for short" she smiled warmly.  
  
"I'd really like to stop now if that all right" Eric asked pleading with his eyes, which were slightly moist.  
  
"Ok, we've almost run out of time anyway, I'll see you tomorrow then, Eric!" She said emphasising on his name deliberately.  
  
"Thanks" he said as he watched her leave.  
  
It was hard, but he'd get through it no matter what it took.  
  
Well this is the whole of chapter 12; sorry it took so long my Internet wasn't working, it still isn't I'm updating this from a friend's house! Well hope you enjoyed it, I'll put more up as soon as possible! Cya, luv, Cesca, x 


	13. Sorry

Chapter 13: Sorry  
  
"So, how was it, Eric?"  
  
Eric burst out laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?" Donna asked confused.  
  
"Nothing, it's an inside joke between me and Angie"  
  
"Angie, So you've made friends with your psychiatrist?"  
  
"I guess, I mean she's nice an' all"  
  
Donna smiled, "Well you seem happier today"  
  
"Yep"  
  
"You're seeing 'Angie' again today aren't you, she better not steal you away from me"  
  
"No one could do that" he replied, smirking at her.  
  
"Listen, I'll see ya this afternoon, I've gotta get going or I'll be late for school!"  
  
"See-ya later then"  
  
Donna left only to return a second later and pop her head back through the door.  
  
"Oh and Hyde's back today, he's coming here to see you with me later, bye"  
  
"Yes" he said to himself excitedly after she'd left. He had never been more anxious to see one of his friends before.  
  
Also he still felt quite guilty about what he had said to Hyde to make him leave him alone and he wanted to apologise to him.  
  
About an hour later Mrs. Walker or as she was now known to Eric as Angie, returned to continue her sessions with him.  
  
"Hello again" she said.  
  
Eric noticed she didn't say his name this time.  
  
"Hi"  
  
"So how are you today?"  
  
"Fine"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course I'm sure, why wouldn't I be?"  
  
Angela could tell by the slight agitation in his voice that she should change the subject.  
  
"Did you have any visitors today?"  
  
"Yer, Donna"  
  
"She must care for you a lot then, this best friend of your?"  
  
"I guess, I care for her a lot too, she's my bestest friend in the world"  
  
"It's good to have a friend like that at times like these"  
  
"I know," he said lowering his head towards the ground again.  
  
"Why do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Always stare at the ground when I'm talking to you"  
  
"I don't know, I don't even realise I'm doing it"  
  
"Eric, do you feel ashamed?"  
  
"No, ashamed about what?"  
  
He had the urge to lower his head again but he kept his eyes in line with Angela's and waited for her reply.  
  
"About what happened to you"  
  
After a few moments he whispered, "A little"  
  
"Tell me, why are you ashamed about something you had no control over?"  
  
"I just am!"  
  
"Eric, to help you I need you to tell me the truth, no matter what I wont judge you, I'm here to help you, can you do that for me, can you trust me?"  
  
With his eyes still on hers, he brought his hand up to his head and brushed it through his floppy brown hair. He nodded timidly like he always did with any adults.  
  
"Good" she stated with a small smile.  
  
"Now can you tell me why you're really ashamed?"  
  
Eric hesitated for a moment before answering.  
  
"Because it's all my fault," he whispered.  
  
"What's all your fault Eric?"  
  
He was doing it again, staring at the ground wondering how to answer her questions with out making her hate him.  
  
"...It's my fault that all this happened with my mom and dad"  
  
"How is it that it's your fault?"  
  
So many questions in such short time... "Because it's my fault she slipped, it's my fault she's in a coma"  
  
Angela didn't know whether he meant he had pushed his mother or whether it was just something that had been programmed into him by his father.  
  
"Did you push her?"  
  
"No, But..."  
  
"Eric, if you didn't push her yourself then how could it be your fault she slipped?"  
  
Everything she said was a question...  
  
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" he screamed.  
  
Every time he talked about this he ended up shouting at the people who were only trying to help him. But he just felt so angry, not towards Angie, but towards himself.  
  
"Ok, Eric, it's alright, I know I don't understand, but if you'll help me I'll try and understand."  
  
Another nod. He was trying to calm himself down.  
  
"I didn't do my..."  
  
There was a loud tapping at the door and after a couple of seconds a truanting Hyde pushed it open and entered the room.  
  
"Hyde" Eric almost shouted.  
  
"Hey, Foreman, what's up?"  
  
Before he could answer Angela interrupted.  
  
"Hello, and who would you be? I have doubts about you being Donna"  
  
Sticking his hand out and shaking hers, he answered. "Hyde, Steven Hyde"  
  
"Well, Steven, I'm in the middle of a session right now"  
  
"A session, a session for what?"  
  
"I'm Eric's psychologist, Mrs. Walker and shouldn't you be in school young man"  
  
Hyde looked at her like he didn't even care about what she'd just said.  
  
"Well you see Mrs. Walker friends are there for each other, school or no school" he said and smirked cheekily at Eric with his usual grin.  
  
Eric had missed that grin, he felt like he hadn't seen it in weeks.  
  
"Angie, can I talk with Hyde for a bit please?" he asked.  
  
"Alright then, but I've got to get going in less than half an hour, so please don't be too long"  
  
"Ok" Eric replied.  
  
After she'd left Eric tried to apologise to Hyde.  
  
"I'm really sorry about what I said the last time we met, I didn't mean a word of it, I was just so scared, and..."  
  
"Eric, it doesn't matter man, you were going through a lot, I know you didn't mean it, there's no need to apologise!"  
  
"I know, but I'm still very sorry about what I said"  
  
"Okay, Eric I accept your apology, now tell me what you've been up to"  
  
"Not much, been living in the hospital"  
  
"Yer, but hey you wont believe how much Donna talks about you! She's so worried about you, I don't think I've seen any girl ever fuss over you like she does"  
  
"I know, she's great, I miss her"  
  
"You miss her, man, she comes and see you every chance she gets"  
  
"I know but I miss her in between when she leaves and when she comes back"  
  
"Awe...wouldn't you two be such a cute couple"  
  
"Shut up Hyde!" he replied humorously.  
  
"You're telling me to shut up," he stated.  
  
And with that he grabbed Eric's head in between his arm and ruffled his hair playfully. He soon stopped when he saw Eric flinch and try to squirm away.  
  
"Oh man, I'm sorry, I just forgot for a second, I didn't mean to scare you," he said guiltily.  
  
Eric had automatically returned to his protected shell. Pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his head in his arms. Hyde didn't know what to do; he'd never been in this kind of position before. His dad had hit him a few times when he was drunk before he had left some years before, but that was nothing as extreme to cause him to behave like this.  
  
"I'm sorry Eric, do you want me to go"  
  
Eric lifted his head from his arms. His eyes were a bit watery.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, I'm acting stupid, I didn't mean to make you feel bad, it's not your fault...it's good that even if it was just for a second you forgot. It's good that I'm not getting all the usual sympathy I'm so used to now, it makes me feel human again"  
  
"Ok, well, I'm sorry anyway, man I guess today's no. 1 word is 'sorry'" he said trying to cheer Eric up.  
  
"Yep, I guess it is"  
  
Angela came into the room at that second and told them she had to go, but she'd be back tomorrow! Soon after that Hyde left, saying he wanted to try and catch dinner at school. Eric mean while lay in his bed thinking until he fell asleep, he didn't have much else to do anyway.  
  
Well, this is chapter 13, like it? Don't? Tell me in a review!!!!!!!!!!! Cya, luv, Cesca, x 


	14. An Act Rehearsed

Chapter 14: An Act Rehearsed  
  
Red lay back in his bed. All he could think about was Eric and how it was his fault his wife was in a coma. He didn't think that what he'd already done to his son was even close to being enough.  
  
He was on the opposite side of the hospital from Eric and he didn't even know Eric was in the same hospital as him.  
  
"He's in the last few stages of it and I'm afraid that there's nothing more we can do, he may have just a few days or maybe a week or two, who knows? I'm sorry but I don' think he has very long left to live!"  
  
He could hear his doctor slowly walking towards his room. It reminded him of his visit to the hospital to see Kitty. Just then a very strange thing happened. An actual tear of sadness slid down his cheek. It certainly wasn't a show because no one around to watch. Not yet anyway.  
  
You would think it to be a tear of sadness because he had just found out he didn't have long left to live. But although at most times he could be a very heartless, cold and even evil man, this time he cried a tear for his loving wife, whom he had spent most of his very precious and treasured moments with.  
  
"I think we should move Eric out of here, if he finds out he's here I don't know what he'll do!" came the voice of Laurie, she had never been very bright.  
  
Suddenly Red's sadness turned to extreme anger. Which he desperately tried to conceal as his doctor and Laurie entered the room.  
  
"Ahh, I see you're awake!" his doctor commented.  
  
Laurie had a bad feeling he had heard what she had just said. But fooled by an act that was so very well rehearsed by a crazed ridden Red, she passed it off as just a mindless thought. But again how foolish she really was!  
  
Meanwhile back on the other side of the hospital Eric was hanging out with Hyde and Donna.  
  
"I can't believe you made a card, especially one like this..." Eric said picking up the card given by Hyde, which lay on his bedside table.  
  
"Well, I was gonna go for the dark dead guys and skeletons kind of card, but Donna made me do this. Plus I thought it might cheer you up"  
  
"How did you get everybody in the school to sign my card? I didn't know I was that popular!"  
  
"Easy, when everyone heard what had happened..."  
  
"What, everyone knows?" Eric interrupted.  
  
"Yer the faculty announced it to the whole school, everyone's really worried about you, man"  
  
"I know, I just like people to treat me normally, I don't want any special treatment"  
  
"We'll tell em that then" Donna exclaimed.  
  
"Sure" he said under his breath.  
  
For a moment Hyde and Donna could see an expression on Eric's face that you could so easily look through. A kind of distant look, as even though he was sat there with them, he seemed so far, far away...  
  
"Hyde, you don't still feel guilty, do ya?" Eric asked soon after.  
  
"Erm...no"  
  
"C'mon Hyde you were in a fit before, punching the wall with ya fists, I thought he was gonna break his hand!" Donna said before Hyde had a chance to stop her.  
  
Just then there was a light tapping at Eric's door and he knew who it was before they opened it. It was Mrs. Brumewood; Eric knew it was her by her quiet knocking at his door.  
  
"Hello...Donna, Hyde, Eric, what are you all chatting about?"  
  
"Nothing much" Hyde said and then he walked over to the door. "I'm gonna get a soda, anyone want one?" he said, seemingly anxious to get out of there!  
  
After everyone had begun shaking his or her head emphasizing a no, Hyde disappeared from the doorway.  
  
"What's up with him?" Donna asked confused.  
  
Mrs. Brumewood brushed off what she had just said and changed the subject.  
  
"Err, Donna, I have that essay you wrote and as you're spending all your time here I'd like to go over it with you, Can you step out side with me?"  
  
"We don't need to go out side, Eric doesn't mind listening to us, do ya Eric?"  
  
Eric shook his head in reply.  
  
"I'd just rather we did" Mrs. Brumewood replied trying to act like she wasn't trying to tell her something serious, which she was failing miserably at.  
  
"Ok"  
  
When they got outside Eric's room, Mrs. Brumewood glanced down the hospital hallway before beginning.  
  
"Donna, this isn't about your work, it's about Hyde"  
  
Donna looked at her confused.  
  
"What about Hyde?"  
  
"Well, he isn't as happy as he seemed, I saw him the other day, he was very frustrated, and angry, I think he's feeling very guilty about not doing anything to help Eric, you know, about his father..."  
  
"Guilty, why, what could he have done?"  
  
"Exactly, but he doesn't think that, I told him that he probably shouldn't show Eric that he's angry at himself as not to put him in another anger filled environment. But it's just an act, there's a lot of that kind of thing going on, people putting an act on to bury the truth!" she paused.  
  
"...I'm worried about him, will you see that he doesn't do anything stupid?"  
  
Donna still looked puzzled, but concerned at the same time, as she nodded her head.  
  
"I know you're trying to look after Eric as well, but if you could, just make sure he's ok!"  
  
Donna nodded again, tugging at a strand of her long red hair.  
  
"Well say goodbye to Eric for me" Mrs. Brumewood said before leaving.  
  
Eric could feel hands gripped around his neck, it felt so real. It always felt so real. He squirmed around in his sleep.  
  
Looking up he saw Red hovering over him. The hands wrapped around his throat were squeezing tighter and tighter by the second. He found that he couldn't breath.  
  
"Wake Up, wake up..." he told himself.  
  
His legs sprang up and caught Red in the stomach. He let out a startled cry and curled over onto the floor.  
  
Eric jumped up from off the bed and ran out the door. He found that in this dream he was able to run away. But that never happened. It couldn't be a dream. It was real!  
  
He could feel a cramp writhing up his leg as he raced down the dark, empty corridors. He breathed heavily. He could hear faint but quick footsteps coming down the corridor he was running from.  
  
He glanced around. Why was there no one there? Suddenly He noticed an open door. As the footsteps grew louder he dived into the room, silently shut the door shut and threw himself under a nearby bed! He tried control his breathing and rubbed at his abused throat. It felt sore and he felt slightly light headed, not to mention queasy.  
  
"Stay calm, stay clam or he'll get you, just stay calm,..." he told himself in a whisper.  
  
But he could hear faster and more thunderous footsteps hurtling towards the room in which he was hiding! He tried to plead with his heart to stop beating for just a few seconds to avoid Red hearing it's pounding at his chest.  
  
Had Red tried to kill him? He'd never tried to kill him before! Why would he start now.  
  
He could now hear slower more silenced foot steps approaching the room. An eerie squeaking came from the door as it creaked open and somebody walked into the room. All that was visible to Eric was two bare feet almost covered by a large hospital gown.  
  
He shut his eyes. He couldn't face him. He was down right scared. He laid under the bed pulling himself closer into the center of it, in hope of not being seen.  
  
He could hear slow raspy breathing coming from somewhere above. He gulped. The breathing seemed to stop and everywhere became quiet. Too quiet.  
  
After a few moment he opened one eye. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own heart banging against his chest. What had become of this teenager who had once been the confident young man, just longing to go out with his friends after finishing his chores? Who was this boy who now lay trembling with fear under a hospital bed, in a dark empty room? Had he changed that much. It would seem so.  
  
A shadowy hand could be seen lowering towards the ground, behind the fallen bed sheet which hid this boys eyes from sight. But those eyes could no longer be hidden and the bed sheet finally unmasked him. Two angry eyes now stared back at him. A shrilling scream echoed through the whole hospital...  
  
Well this is chapter 14, hope you found it interesting! And Thanx so much for all your reviews, especially from jenben, who is my story's no.1 fan and gives me great advice! I wanna be a filmmaker; I think I'll take film studies at college. Anyway again, Thanx, cya, luv, Cesca, x 


	15. Not Alone!

Chapter 15: Not Alone  
  
"Hey, kid, what ya doing under there"  
  
"Kid"  
  
Eric opened his eyes. He shut them instantly again as the light radiating from the room reflected into them.  
  
"Wha...what happened?"  
  
"You tell me kid, you're the one sleeping under a hospital bed"  
  
He tried opening his eyes again, only slower. There was a man in front of him, probably in his early forties. He had a short gray beard and longish kind of hair. He wore dirty overalls and there was a mop and bucket leaning on the side of the doorframe behind him.  
  
"You're...you're the cleaner guy"  
  
"If you say so", he replied.  
  
"It's not good to sleep under your bed you know"  
  
"I wasn't, I mean I was in my bed, I was having a nightmare and then..." Eric stopped in the middle of what he was saying.  
  
He looked down at himself. Looking for any signs that last night hadn't just been a dream. There were no new bruises, no new cuts. But then he suddenly noticed something. Something, which made him gasp with panic. Right there imprinted on his arm was five marks in the shape of fingerprints!  
  
"No, it can't be" he whispered to himself.  
  
"What's wrong kid?" asked the bearded stranger.  
  
"I...I need to get out of here, it's not safe, it's not safe..." and with that he jumped out from under the bed and began to run.  
  
He could hear the sound of the cleaner's voice echo after him to stop, but he didn't care. He had to get out of there.  
  
He ran and he ran until he found the exit of the hospital and then he ran some more. He didn't stop until he could run no more. He breathed heavily, and rested his hands on his knees as he panted loudly.  
  
He looked around him. The hospital was nowhere in sight. He knew where he was though. He was on baker's street. What a place for him to stop on. This place was known for its gangs of ruffians and drug dealers. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Still wearing his light blue hospital gown, he looked a real mess too. His body still hadn't totally recovered from the home life he thought he had escaped.  
  
"What am I going to do now?" he asked himself.  
  
Bakers Street was only a few miles from his school. He could go find Donna. She would help him. He should have stayed at the hospital. He should have stayed and tried to tell the doctors what had happened.  
  
"They wouldn't believe me, why would they, no one believes what I tell them, no believed me about mom" he thought to himself as he had finally caught his breath and carried on making his way towards his school.  
  
He heard some laughs coming from behind him. He turned his head to see who it was.  
  
"Did you escape from the crazed people asylum" came an unfamiliar voice from an unfamiliar face.  
  
"Who cares if he did or not, he's on our territory, and I don't like it" It was another unknown person, a rather large teenage boy. This time the boy came from in front of him.  
  
He turned around. He wasn't afraid of them. He'd probably been through ten times worse than anything they could do to him.  
  
"I'm just passing through to get to the school, and if you don't mind I'd like to get going" He walked forward and began to edge past the slightly larger boy. "I don't think so, little boy" he sneered.  
  
Eric stopped. He was sick of this happening. Couldn't people just leave him alone?  
  
"Fine, go ahead, beat the crap out of me if it'll make you happy! As you can see I'm a little used to it," he said emphasizing on all the bruises not concealed by his hospital gown, which still stained his body.  
  
Eric didn't look threatened at all. By this time in his life he had gotten used to the pain. And he didn't care what they did to him.  
  
The group of boys were now staring at him.  
  
"GO ON THEN, I'M SURE IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BIG!"  
  
They still just stood there, not moving, glancing at each other and then back to him.  
  
"ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANTED, WHAT YOU STOPPED ME FOR!"  
  
Eric could see they weren't going to do anything to him and began to run down the road again.  
  
He looked back after he'd been running for a minute or two to see them still standing in the same place they were when he left.  
  
"Hm, that was easy," he said out loud, but only to himself.  
  
Somehow he pushed himself to keep on running until soon, he could see his school up ahead of him. He slowed down and made his way towards the path, which led to the school gates. He was almost there when a hand covered his mouth and the person in whom the hand belonged to dragged him down into a dark eerie alleyway.  
  
He tried to squeak out a cry for help. But the hand held his lips tightly closed together. His heart began to race. He was so close. He was almost there. Eric began to kick out with his legs; it had worked with Red, maybe it would work now. The hand suddenly let go.  
  
"Don't run," said a voice. It sounded familiar.  
  
"I needed to say I'm sorry"  
  
He looked up to see the boy who had stopped him not that long ago.  
  
"You know there are easier ways to do that, like not dragging me down a dark alleyway"  
  
"Yer, I'm sorry about that too, I wasn't thinking now or before" he paused.  
  
He extended his hand to Eric. "My name is Daniel" he exclaimed.  
  
Eric wouldn't shake his hand.  
  
"That's ok, I wouldn't shake hands with me either"  
  
Eric didn't trust this guy but for some reason he went along with the conversation anyway.  
  
"Eric, my name's Eric" he said eyeing him wearily.  
  
The stranger spoke again. "Listen, I really am sorry about before, it's just, well that's what me and the guys do, I felt bad, for you know..." he sort of trailed off and stared at the ground. This act was all too familiar to Eric.  
  
"Are you ashamed?" he asked.  
  
"What?" the older boy questioned.  
  
"Are ashamed of what you did?"  
  
"I guess, well I wish I hadn't threatened you"  
  
"I...I forgive you" Eric said, trying to give Daniel a sincere smile. He didn't know why he'd said that. But he felt it was the truth.  
  
"You do?"  
  
Eric nodded his head. "Just promise me you wont do that to the next guy who just happens to end up on your so called territory"  
  
Daniel smiled. "I promise"  
  
"I still don't understand why you didn't beat me up, why instead you come after me just to apologize"  
  
Daniel stared at the ground once more. "I don't know, like I said, I felt bad"  
  
"Is that the only reason?" Eric asked curiously. He was starting to sound like his psychiatrist.  
  
The brown haired teenager didn't reply at first. But then after a moment he sighed and began.  
  
"I came after you, because...because I saw myself in you, the way I was years ago and your right, I guess it did make me feel big, feel tough, feel like I was in control..." he paused again.  
  
"Until I began hanging out with my mates, the guys, I felt like I was always being controlled, never my own person. I guess I went the wrong way about trying to get that control, I didn't have it, I never had it"  
  
He stopped and Eric saw something he didn't expect to see, not from this young man, this young man who looked too tough to do what he was doing at this precise moment. Eric noticed he had tears forming in his eyes.  
  
"I don't know who did what ever they did to you, but I do know that now I'm not alone, I didn't think there was anyone who felt the same kind of pain, the same kind of pain that I feel"  
  
He looked at Eric again.  
  
"Who's handprint is that?" he asked rubbing his arms like it were he who had suffered the bruises which Red had conflicted upon Eric's arm.  
  
Eric looked down at his arm and at Red's handprint.  
  
He didn't know why but he felt he should tell this stranger, this boy who not more than an hour ago had threatened him.  
  
"My father" he replied, distancing himself from Daniel.  
  
Daniel began to pull up his sleeve. He came slightly closer to Eric so he could see the large angry bruise, which stretched across his arm. Eric's eyes widened.  
  
"Fathers hey, can't live with them, can live without em"  
  
Eric still stared at his arm speechless.  
  
"You're not alone Eric" he said smiling. "You're not alone"  
  
Well tell me if you like this and want me to continue! Or if there are any mistakes which you think you can correct, your reviews are very important to me, so please just be bothered to click that little button named 'Go' and review!!! Please. Cya luv Cesca, x 


	16. Hand in Hand!

Chapter 16: Hand In Hand  
  
Donna sat at her desk, trying to keep herself awake. She hadn't got much sleep lately due to all the time she was spending worrying about Eric. Ever since that day when she'd found him in his house so mentally broken inside, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. She knew she had to help him. She stared blankly out of the school window, when suddenly she noticed a teenage figure making his way up through the school gates towards the school.  
  
"Can I be excused please, miss, I really need to use the toilet?" she asked and hurried out to meet up with him.  
  
  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
"I hope I'll see you again sometime" Eric said with a kind of fake smile on his face.   
  
He was happy their were others like him, but he didn't like the thought of so many young people going through what he went through.   
  
Eric had been talking with Daniel for quite a while before he continued on to see Donna. Daniel had told him here he lived and Eric vowed to himself that he would eventually help this new friend. Daniel who was close to his seventeenth birthday, had told Eric that once he turned eighteen, his father could throw him out into the streets. He seemed quite upset when he had been talking about it. Eric didn't know what to say, he would have liked to have told him he could come and stay with him. But the reality of it was that he hadn't even recovered from his fathers abuse, and was living in a hospital.  
  
Eric tried to shake the thoughts out of his head as he made his way up the school path towards where Donna was inside. He was almost at the entrance when Donna appeared there.   
  
"Eric, what are you doing here?" she asked anxiously, yet caring.  
  
He didn't answer, he just leaned in towards Donna and let himself fall into her arms. Again he found himself crying. He now knew he wasn't alone in this all, and in some ways they were cries of happiness, in others not so much. The fact that there were so many bad people in the world scared him to much to even think about. Donna held him in her arms again, like she had once before. They hugged for ten minutes straight.  
  
"How many kid's in the world do you think have got a dad like mine?" Eric asked breaking the silence.  
  
"Erm.........I dunno Eric, why'd you ask that?" She replied.  
  
"It doesn't matter" he stated staring at the sky.  
  
Again Donna asked why he was here. At first once again he didn't reply. But after a few moments he began to speak.  
  
"Back at the hospital, last night........."   
  
Eric explained to Donna about everything that had happened the night before and this morning. After he had finished he showed her the proof of what he was saying, by stretching out his bruised arm.   
  
A little while later ric ended up back at the hospital doors. He was quite nervous about steping through them. After all somewhere inside there, Red was lay.  
  
Donna pushed him to go further with her words.   
  
"He wont hurt you infront of everyone and there are people who can help, c'mon, Eric your gonna have to do this some time."  
  
He walked into the hospital and up to the secretary's desk. He didn't know what to say.  
  
"We need to speak to Dr. Beheta please" Donna quickly asked.  
  
"Have you got an appointment?" the secretary asked.  
  
"We don't need one, my friend Eric has been ill and was staying here, but he got attacked while he was here and ran away, he was scared and he still is, and something has to be done about it. This kinda stuff isn't mean't to happen in hospitals!"   
  
"Ok, young lady, calm down, just wait a minute"  
  
Donna ad almost turned red, t was obvious she was very worried and stressed to everyone around her, including Eric. He smiled at her.  
  
"thanx" he stated.  
  
"What for?" she asked slightly confused.  
  
"What for, for being there for me, for helping me, and for just worrying about me so much, it's nice to know you care so much, you've already done enough for me, I don't want you being hurt because of me"  
  
Donna let a sincere smile spread across her lips. She looked like she was going to say something for a moment, but then she just smiled a little more and took Erics hand.  
  
"I do care about you Eric, I care about you so much that I can't help hurting when you are"  
  
"Awwww" Eric blushed and smiled like he'd never smiled before.  
  
He had forgotten about his father for a moment when he saw his doctor heading towards him.  
  
Erm...hmmm, like it so far?  
  
Well even if you do or ya dont, I have some free time, and I am trying to use it, although I do have to copy up two peices of coursework for english some time soon! But I will try and get back into the pattern of writing more chaps, so dont worry....... 


	17. A home that is not home!

Chapter 17: A home that is not home...  
  
"What?" Eric asked, stunned, although it wasn't really a question. He couldn't cry, he was far beyond crying.  
  
"I'm sorry Eric, but we all knew this was going to happen eventually, some time soon" his doctor explained.  
  
He didn't know whether he was glad or sad. But he did know that his father could never harm him again. Some time in the middle of that night his father had passed away.  
  
"He did however leave you something" and with that Dr. Beheta reached into his pocket and pulled out a small folded up piece of paper, then handed it to Eric.  
  
"What's this?" he asked, as he unfolded the piece of paper. he looked down at it.  
  
Dear Eric I know that you can probably never forgive me for what I did, but if you could find it in your heart.....  
  
After reading the first line Eric looked up at Dr. Beheta. He didn't move. He didn't say anything. He just stood very still for a moment, before reaching out and putting the paper back into Dr. Beheta's pocket.  
  
"I don't want this" he said with a blank expression.  
  
Then he turned to Donna with his puppy dog eyes, like nothing had even happened and said, "Can I stay at your place tonight?"  
  
He looked her in the eyes. "Please..."  
  
Donna looked at him concerned for a second and then mumbled "Well...I guess my dad wouldn't have a problem with that, as long as you slept in the guest room" she replied, giving into him.  
  
"Of course, where else would I sleep?" he said giving her a grin.  
  
Donna ignored his question and shook her head, with a small smile humorously.  
  
Dr. Beheta watched them leave and sighed to himself. He took the letter from his pocket and glanced over it.  
  
"Poor kid" he whispered under his breath.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Donna's dad didn't mind Eric sleeping at their house, but he knew it couldn't be permanent. And Eric knew that as well. He just tried to think positive.  
  
"Well, you are sleeping in here" Donna told Eric pointing her finger towards the rather big guestroom, which had a king, sized bed living inside it.  
  
"Cool" Eric stated.  
  
"My mum is making dinner at about sixish"  
  
" Am I invited?"  
  
"No, were just gonna let you starve" Donna replied sarcastically as she exited down stairs, leaving Eric to unpack his things.  
  
When he was finished, he sat on the bed that was not his bed, in a room that was not his and sighed. He was happy to be where he was instead of in his own home, which was now not his home, as he no longer lived there. He didn't want to go back to his mom and dad's house; it was too scarred with memories. Apart from Laurie he had no immediate family left. With his mother in a coma and his father dead, he was almost all alone, if not for the few friends he had.  
  
"ERIC" Donna shouted from downstairs.  
  
When she got no reply she headed up stairs towards his room.  
  
"Eric, dinner's ready, c'mon," she said  
  
She found him lying on the bed asleep.  
  
'Everything must have really worn him out' she thought to herself.  
  
She thought she'd better not wake him and so left him to sleep, saving some food for him incase he woke up hungry some time later.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
"He should be able to stay there for a little while longer before they take him away" Dr. Beheta argued.  
  
"He can spend week at the most there, but we have to move him into foster care after that" said the voice on the other line.  
  
Giving up Dr. Beheta sighed. "Alright, but this is going to break this kid's heart..."  
  
So...sorry bout all this taking so long...well actually I would usually be busy, but bad news gives me more time to work this. Well, I erm, got beaten up, they took my skateboard I got for my birthday, few days ago as well, no reason at all, maybe cos I am kind of mosha like, thas no reason though, *sniffs*, but I waiting for my face to go back to normal, cos I got kicked about 15 times in my head and face, then I will probably busy again, but I will try, and I mean it, to get more of this done! Well, I actually have experience now, to write bout the beatings, that isn't a good thing, but people always say look on the bright side, anyway, so...Leeds Festival, good charlotte, the used, sum41, All American rejects...like 50 other gr8 bands playing there...Leeds Festival is this Friday, yay, can't wait, I should be healed by then...anyway, hope you liked this pls, review, I'd missed saying that almost... 


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